This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
In the automotive industry, plastic injection molding is utilized to form many different components of an automobile. In particular, many interior trim components, such as A-pillar and B-pillar trim coverings, are formed by injection molding. Traditional injection molding manufacturing processes utilize an injection mold comprising a cavity block and a core block with mating faces that cooperatively define a mold cavity. Molten or semi-molten plastic is injected into the mold cavity when the cavity block and core block are brought together. After the plastic in the mold cavity cools and hardens, the cavity block and the core block are pulled apart and the injection molded component is removed or ejected from the mold cavity.
Within the automotive industry, it is common place to refer to the surface of interior trim components that faces the passenger compartment as the “A-side” and the surface that faces away from the passenger compartment as the “B-side.” Because the A-side of interior trim components are visible to vehicle occupants, the appearance and surface finish of the A-side is an important design consideration. Uneven coloration, distortion, depressions, and weld lines on the A-side of interior trim components detract from the perceived quality of the vehicle and therefore are undesirable. These aesthetic concerns must be considered along with performance characteristics of interior trim components, including weight and rigidity. Typically, thin walled interior trim components with good A-side surface quality have poor rigidity, while thin walled components with good rigidity have poor A-side surface quality. This is due to the limitations of traditional injection molding equipment. As a result, interior trim components are typically made with relatively thick walls to ensure good rigidity and A-side surface quality at the cost of increased weight. However, there remains a need for an improved injection mold capable of creating injection molded components with good rigidity, good A-side surface quality, and thin walls for reduced weight.